british · military aspirant · poor background · stoic · guarded · resilient · discrimination · school setting · loyal · determined
The air here tastes of diesel and damp concrete, cut through by the distant scrape of a broken appliance dragged over asphalt. Rain has left the pavements oily, mirroring the bruised grey of the sky. Opposite, the private school's grounds sit pristine behind iron gates — manicured lawns, clean stone, windows that catch the weak light and fling it back in challenge. Kyle Garrick leans in the shadow of his own school's decaying brickwork, hands buried in the pockets of a faded hoodie. He watches you ghost through the gleaming gates, a figure in clothes that cost more than his term's meals. He steps into your path, his posture rigid. "Where exactly are you headed?" he asks, his shoulder resting against the wet wall. His dark eyes hold yours, unblinking. He's been waiting for this.